The Second Time
by missymisery
Summary: Mystery wasn't fond of having to make others forget. He only ever did it twice, once to make Arthur forget he even killed Lewis. He didn't want to have to do it again. But with Arthur's pleading look, his desperation to escape the truth, Mystery couldn't find it in himself to object. "Please, Mystery!" Arthur cried. "I don't want to remember! Make me forget about him!"


Summary:Mystery wasn't fond of having to make others forget. He only ever did it twice, once to make Arthur forget he even killed Lewis. He didn't want to have to do it again. But with Arthur's pleading look, his desperation to escape the truth, Mystery couldn't find it in himself to object.

"Please, Mystery!" Arthur cried. "I don't want to remember! Make me forget about him!"

The Second Time

He had been sleeping when it happened. Mystery's eyes immediately snapped open as he recognized the familiar aura and presence of the malevolent spirit, eyes darting around to hunt it down.

He didn't see any green mist, and Mystery, at that instant, began to panic and look for Arthur, but the human was nowhere to be found. Vivi was in the midst of her sleep, so as to not to worry the blue-haired girl, Mystery opened the doors of the van carefully, making sure not to make enough noise to wake her up.

Arthur wasn't outside, either.

Mystery narrowed his eyes, his worry increasing tenfold. Where was he...?

"Arthur?" He called out, not caring if his guise as a dog was revealed. Arthur was _missing_ , goddammit, and the green spirit was nowhere to be seen! "Arthur!"

"Dammit..." He muttered. He was so pathetic. He couldn't even _find_ Arthur! What was he supposed to do if he couldn't even do something as simple as this?

Shiromori was right. He shouldn't of have gotten attached to that stupid girl, maybe if he killed her everything would finally go right-

Wait, no, he would _never_ even dare hurt Vivi! Mystery growled as he realized the source of his negative thoughts. Green mist swirled around him, and he ran to the direction it came from.

Arthur was bound to be where it was.

* * *

Mystery found him at the cave. He was sitting on the edge of the cliff, holding his metal arm as it sparked and its circuits making noises the kitsune was sure it shouldn't be making.

But he wasn't possessed, as Mystery had expected him to be.

"M-Mystery..." Arthur said, turning his head towards the kitsune. He looked at Mystery, and then glanced at his left arm. "P-please, I..."

Mystery approached the human slowly, unsure as to what to do. He put his head under Arthur's hand, but the human tore his hand away. "Mystery I-!"

Mystery whined. What was wrong with Arthur today? What happened when he was gone, when Arthur was vulnerable to the spirit's influence?

They stayed together like that in silence for the longest time.

"Is it true...?" Arthur asked. "Is it true that you're a...?"

Mystery sighed. "I'm a kitsune, yes. Arthur, I'm sorry you had to find out this way."

Arthur looked down. "Then is it also true that you made me forget?"

That wasn't something Mystery had been expecting. "I..."

Arthur gripped his arm, closing his eyes. "Mystery, please... tell me honestly. Did you make me forget?"

"I... Yes." Mystery reluctantly answered. "You asked me to."

Arthur's eyes widened. "Is it a-also true that I- that I-" He choked on his words, turning to face Mystery. His face was a mix of emotions. Fear, denial, sadness.

It was never a good mix.

His expression read, 'Please tell me I didn't do anything wrong'. But Mystery hated lying, especially since he already was living a lie. Ironic, considering he was a kitsune, the master of illusions.

"I'm sorry, Arthur." was all he said.

At those words, Arthur broke down, crying as he mumbled, "Oh my god, oh my god... I killed him. I killed Lewis. Lord please, no..."

"No, Arthur!" Mystery exclaimed, coming to Arthur's aid. "You did not kill him. You were possessed!"

"I still did it, Mystery!" The mechanic snapped. "If I hadn't been so weak, I would've been able to fight it off. Lewis would still be alive!"

"It was a demon, Arthur, it's not that easy!"

Arthur rolled his eyes. Still the same orange ones. "But I _let_ it in me. You said it yourself; demons feed of off emotions."

Mystery recalled telling this to Arthur when the memory of Lewis was still fresh in their minds.

Silence lingered between them, the only things that could be heard was the cool breeze and the dripping of water from the stalactites up above.

Mystery watched as Arthur let go of his hold on his prosthetic, looking at the rock formations below him with a pained look.

Was he contemplating...? Mystery held a paw out and held Arthur down, using his unnatural strength to keep the mechanic in place.

"Don't." Mystery whispered.

"I wasn't going to," Arthur replied. He sighed, looking at his arm once more before finally looking into Mystery's eyes. It had been so long since Arthur looked at those eyes without flinching or seeing beyond the guise of the dog.

"You already made me forget once."

Mystery nodded. He wasn't sure he wanted to know how this will end.

"Would it really hurt to do it again?"

The kitsune looked off to the side. On one hand, it would keep Arthur at peace with himself, but Mystery would risk Arthur having a breakdown if he were to remember again. Not only that, but Arthur would still continue his hunt for Lewis, not sleeping, not talking to Vivi, and Mystery knew it was all for naught. Besides, it gave Mystery immense discomfort. He did not like doing this.

"Mystery, please, I can't live like this." Arthur begged. "I don't _want_ to live like this!"

He didn't want to have to do it again. The kitsune closed his eyes.

"Please, Mystery!" Arthur cried. "I don't want to remember! Make me forget about him!"

Forget about him?

Dear lord, no! To erase his memory of Lewis' death was one thing, but to erase Lewis _entirely_ from his mind? He would never do that to Arthur!

Opening his eyes, he saw the look on Arthur's face, the look of desperation to escape the truth. He couldn't do this to Arthur, yet he couldn't... he couldn't just... let Arthur live on like this.

It wouldn't hurt to do it again, right?

Maybe it would.

Maybe it would help them through all this.

Maybe it would help ease Arthur's conscience.

(But it wouldn't do anything to Mystery's.)

"Are you sure about this, Arthur?"

"Yes."

He was going to regret this.

This was wrong, he knew it. But he couldn't find it in himself to object. Not with that look in Arthur's eyes. Not when he knew _Arthur was suffering._

He closed his eyes once more, and with a zap of energy, Arthur remembered Lewis no more.

Mystery never liked making others forget.

He only ever did it twice.


End file.
